"Appoint judges and police in all of your cities..." (Deut. 16:18)

When Mr. David Tidhar, a Jewish officer in the British Mandatory police force, announced to Rav Kook that he was engaged to be married, Rav Kook was overjoyed. The rabbi insisted that the wedding take place in his own residence, and that he would provide the wedding meal. Rav Kook even invited students from the yeshivah to join in the festivities.

Many people were taken by surprise. Why was Rav Kook so fond of this policeman?

Rav Kook explained that Mr. Tidhar had zechut avot. His father, R. Moshe Betzalel Todrosovich, was a wealthy Jaffa philanthropist who had been instrumental in bringing Rav Kook to serve as rabbi of Jaffa. Rav Kook further noted that R. Moshe Betzalel continued to support and assist in all religious undertakings in Jaffa, especially any matter connected to education, charity, and helping out those in need. This man, Rav Kook declared, is certainly deserving of our gratitude and thanks.

The Run-Away Husband

Rav Kook's warm ties to the young policeman took on greater importance when Tidhar was appointed to serve as a commanding officer in the Jerusalem police force. Rav Kook would often turn to him for help in releasing a prisoner or improving his conditions in jail. At least on one occasion, though, Rav Kook asked Tidhar to help place a man under arrest.

It became known that a Jerusalem husband had decided to abandon his family, leaving his wife an agunah without a proper divorce. The husband planned to leave Jerusalem on the 7:30 AM train. Legally, there was no way to stop him. The request to arrest him had been presented to the regional court; but it would only be approved when the judge arrived at ten o'clock.

Rav Kook turned to David Tidhar, explaining the seriousness and urgency of the case. The resourceful police officer used an unconventional method to deal with the situation. He sent an undercover detective to the train station. There the detective pretended to pick a fight with the husband. The altercation began with harsh words and progressed to fisticuffs.

Policemen immediately arrived and arrested the two brawlers, bringing them to the police station in Me'ah She'arim. At that point Tidhar arrived at the station. He detained the man until Rav Kook sent word that the court order had been obtained. He was then able to place the man under arrest.

Rav Kook would say: There are two men who assist me in maintaining religious affairs in Jerusalem. The first is the high commissioner, Herbert Samuel. The second is the police officer David Tidhar. But, Rav Kook noted, there is a difference between the two. The commissioner always confers first with his legal advisor, so his assistance is delayed. Officer Tidhar, on the other hand, is diligent and energetic. He does what he promises, quickly overcoming all obstacles.

The Would-Be Expulsion

In another incident, Tidhar needed to prevent the deportation of Jewish immigrants — a deportation that he was detailed to carry out.

The British passport office sent Tidhar a long list of illegal immigrants. The list included many details: names, addresses, ages, and so on. The policeman was astounded. How had the British obtained so much information about the immigrants?

The answer was not long in coming. The government immigration officials had posed as a Jewish aid organization, going house to house in Jerusalem neighborhoods. Using this ploy, they had convinced the immigrants to divulge their identifying details.

As police commander, Tidhar was given the order to expel forty hapless families on the day before Yom Kippur. It would have been a heart-breaking sight. Tidhar met with the leaders of the Jewish city council. He requested that the refugees be provided with food and clothing; and he gave them a twelve hour reprieve before executing the deportation.

The council's Aliyah department agreed. They provided for the immigrants' needs, and secretly transferred them to distant neighborhoods.

In order to assist the refugees, it was necessary for Tidhar to work on Yom Kippur. Following Rav Kook's advice, he dressed as an Arab, so that these Jews should not be disturbed by the sight of a Jew desecrating the holiest day of the year — even if his labors were for their own deliverance.

David Tidhar would comment about that period: the British officers thought that they were my commanding officers. But my true commanding officer was Rav Kook. For me, any request of the rabbi was an order; and I tried to discharge them to the best of my ability. I considered it a great zechut and privilege to fulfill Rav Kook's wishes.

(Adapted from Chayei HaRe'iyah, pp. 303-304; Malachim Kivnei Adam, p. 151)

Tweet   Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison